The Holy Scripture - english version B.indd - Sabbat

Paul's Foreview of Romanism.345the priest, let him be accursed.9. Scripture teaches us that no man is perfectly righteous, and certainly thatnone can do more than his duty to God. " If we say we have no sin, we deceiveourselves." (1. John 1,8) - " In Your sight shall no man living be justified."(Psalm 143,2) - " When you shall have done all those things which arecommanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants : we have done that whichwas our duty to do." (Luke 17,10) - The Council of Trent, on the contrary, assertsthat the good works of the justified man, his fasts, alms, and penances, reallydeserve increase of grace and eternal life, and that God is willing, on account ofHis most pious servants, to forgive others. It teaches that a man may do more thanis requisite, and may give the overplus of his good works to another.10. Scripture teaches us that faith in Christ removes sin and its guilt, " that theLamb of God takes away the sin of the world (John 1,29)," that by His deathChrist put away our sins, that " the blood of Jesus Christ His SON [Editor:the Son of YAHWEH our Elohim] cleanses us from all sin." (1. John 1,7) -But Romanism teaches that the venial sins of believers have to be expiated bya purgatory after death, and that the prayers of the faithful can help them. TheCreed of Pope Pius IV. contains the clause : " I constantly hold that there is apurgatory, and that the souls detained therein are helped by the suffrages of thefaithful."11. Scripture teaches us that " by one offering he has perfectedforever them that are sanctified (Hebrews 10,14)," that He wasonce offered to bear the sins of many. But Romanism asserts, on the contrary,that in each of the endlessly repeated masses in its innumerable churches all overthe world there is offered to God " a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice forthe living and the dead."12. Scripture, as we have already shown, teaches us that the marriage of theministers of Christ is a lawful and honorable thing. Peter was a married man ; Paulasserts his liberty to marry, and says that a bishop [Editor: exactly a "overseer"]must be the husband of one wife, having his children in subjection with all gravity,and that the deacons also must be the husbands of one wife, ruling their childrenand their own houses well. Romanism, on the other hand, teaches " that the clergymay not marry, and that marriage is to them a pollution."13. Scripture says, " You shall worship the Lord your God [Editor: worshipYAHWEH your Elohim], and Him only shall you serve." (Matthew 4,10) -Barnabas and Paul with horror forbade the crowds to worship them, and the angelsimilarly forbade John, saying, " See you do it not." Romanism enjoins theworship both of angels and saints and their relics. " The saints reigning togetherwith Christ are to be honored and invocated ; they offer up prayers to God for us,and their relics are to be venerated."14. The Bible again teaches that images are not to be worshiped. " You shallnot bow down to them, nor serve them." (Exodus 20,5) - " I amthe Lord [Editor: I am YAHWEH] : My glory will I not give toanother, neither My praise to graven images." (Isaiah 42,8) -But Romanism teaches her votaries to say, " I most firmly assert, that the imagesof Christ, and of the mother of God ever virgin, and also of the other saints, are to